On November 1, a new manager will take the helm of the East London SPCA, and he intends to restore the 110-year-old institution to its former glory in the wake of years of financial mismanagement that nearly led to its closure in 2023.
According to ELSPCA management committee chair Nea Venter, the Covid-19 lockdown presented the opportunity for less financial oversight and control at ELSPCA which enabled abuse under the then manager and management committee from 2020-2022. This had dire impacts on the ELSPCA including a municipal bill of almost R700,000 and the closure of the ELSPCA clinic.
Since the start of 2024, Venter and her committee have been hard at work to undo this gross misuse of public funds. They have overhauled how the ELSPCA authorises payments and putting in checks and balances that prevent important decisions and actions from being concentrated only in the hands of the manager.
The committee has also been able to fix the kennels, enclosures and maintain the property as per the standard required to render services to the animals, as financial abuse of the previous administration meant that no real maintenance was being carried out. The financial mismanagement also bled into disorganised working environments that saw operational staff stretched thin between caring for the animals while also being expected to handle fundraising and administration.
Venter said: “With the guidance of professional people, we have put processes and procedures in place that were not established when we came on board and the staff is much more aware now of what is expected of them.
“Operational staff is focusing on caring for the animals and our management committee is responsible for the background administration.
“Two signatures are needed now for any payment, small or big and we have also managed to do cost cutting exercises that has seen us shop around for better prices on cleaning products, food, and other expenses.
“Payments are no longer a one-person responsibility, and all decisions are transparent and done with the knowledge and consent of everyone. We are proud to say that we do not owe the municipality anything other than our current (account) every month.
“The new manager has worked for many years at the head office and is extremely knowledgeable and capable and we know that the public will love him. His appointment is one of the best decisions we could have made.
“We inherited a lot of damage from the poor management of the previous manager and committee, and we had a pile of hurdles to overcome to get to the stable position we are in now where we can focus on the future.”
ELSPCA Trust chair Simon Kirk confirmed that the appointment came after retrenchments and restructuring made to stabilise the financial wellbeing of the EL SPCA. Kirk added that the trust was buoyed by the work done by the management committee given its efforts have brought the EL SPCA back from the brink of financial ruin in just a few months.
Despite the eroded public trust in the ELSPCA as evidenced by negative comments about the institution on social media, Venter remains confident that the strides achieved this year proves the ELSPCA is committed every day towards becoming a stronger institution than the day before.
However, the loss of perceived trustworthiness with donors from the public will have a negative impact on the ELSPCA, especially given the public’s perception of minimal regulation of the non-profit sector.
NSPCA’s spokesperson Jacques Peacock said that NSPCA is a statutory body and that each SPCA is responsible for their own operational affairs and that the national body is not in control of policy-making, management of the local SPCA, and focuses only on administering the SPCAs Act.
Researchers, Vincent Keating and Erla Thrandardottir believe that NPOs like the ELSPCA, which have faced scandals must prioritise rebuilding their authenticity and solidarity with the public, as the erosion of public trust will be fatal in the NGO market place, where many are vying for donor funds.
Venter said: “We urge the community to support us instead of criticising us and we hope everyone will give the new manager an opportunity to prove himself and to trust the new committee because we have nothing but the best interest of the animals and the organisation at heart.”
While the EL SPCA waits to be joined by its new manager, operations are being run by a qualified inspector and a trainee inspector as the important work of animal cruelty investigations are continued such as the ongoing case of the baby seal clubbing at Nahoon Beach and the shooting of Honey the dog in Vincent.
The 2022-2023 financial year for EL SPCA was plagued with one challenge after the other. In April last year, the EL SPCA warned it could be forced to close if it failed to form a functional management committee, citing a lack of volunteers and financial constraints.
By June, the SPCA was relying on a donated generator after the municipality cut off electricity due to a R300,000 debt. Despite negotiations, the SPCA struggled with leadership issues and mounting operational costs.
In August, the SPCA’s AGM revealed the depth of its financial troubles, including the closure of its clinic and unresolved utility bills which were luckily resolved after intervention from the EL SPCA Trust.
This Friday, the organisation is hosting an auction fundraiser at 6pm at Ham’s Club and attendees stand a chance to win a weekend away. Tickets are R110 and can be purchased at the SPCA Charity Shop.
